There’s been no shortage of rookie production through the first three weeks of the NFL season, with an impressive crop of wide receivers stealing the spotlight. Although it’s still early, the fact that the five players with the shortest odds to win OROY are all wide receivers is a strong indication that the award will end up going to a wideout for a second year in a row (Ja’Marr Chase, 2021). There’s an elite tier led by Drake London, Chris Olave, and Garrett Wilson, followed by a second tier consisting of Jahan Dotson, Romeo Doubs, Treylon Burks, and George Pickens.
Just two non-receivers have been able to crack the top 10 on the oddsboard, one of whom – Kenny Pickett – has yet to play an NFL snap.
OROY odds
| PLAYER | ODDS (SEPT. 27) | ODDS (SEPT. 20) |
| Drake London | +500 | +600 |
| Chris Olave | +500 | +1200 |
| Garrett Wilson | +1000 | +1000 |
| Romeo Doubs | +1000 | +2000 |
| Jahan Dotson | +1000 | +700 |
| Kenny Pickett | +1000 | +1200 |
| Dameon Pierce | +1200 | +1400 |
| Treylon Burks | +1600 | +1400 |
| Breece Hall | +1600 | +1400 |
| George Pickens | +1600 | +1400 |
| Brian Robinson Jr. | +2000 | +1000 |
| James Cook | +2000 | +1400 |
| Christian Watson | +5000 | +2000 |
| Skyy Moore | +10000 | +4000 |
Drake London (+500)
London has looked every bit as advertised through the first three weeks, playing a starring role in helping the Falcons to their first win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday by finding the endzone for a key touchdown late in the game. London has been, and will continue to be, an integral part of the Falcons offense, which has been better than most predicted, averaging over 26 points per game. London has the luxury of playing alongside Kyle Pitts, who will attract enough defensive attention to allow him a number of one-on-one opportunities on the outside.
Chris Olave (+500)
Olave was one of the biggest movers of the weekend, and rightfully so. The Ohio State product went off for a whopping 147 yards on nine catches in a divisional loss to the Panthers, but what might go unnoticed by most could be telling of what’s to come. Olave has looked like the clear No. 1 on the Saints so far, and the numbers would support that narrative. He’s averaging 10.3 targets per game, ahead of both Michael Thomas (7.3) and Jarvis Landry (6.3), each of whom left Week 3’s contest injured. Olave’s 268 receiving yards are the fifth-most by any rookie wide receiver in his first three games, and the most by any rookie so far this season. It’s hard to justify a bet now following this significant odds adjustment, but he is poised to maintain contender status all year. Olave will look to build on his success this week when the Saints take on the Vikings in London.
Garret Wilson (+1000)
Despite having Joe Flacco under center, Wilson has continued to impress. Starting quarterback Zach Wilson is trending towards making a return this week, which should improve Wilson’s chances at making an impact. The Jets and Robert Saleh have made it evident they’re focused on building the offense around the passing game. Flacco has averaged 51 attempts per game through three weeks, with a 58.5% completion rate, and five turnovers. Despite missing his starting quarterback, Wilson has seen the most targets (32) by any rookie wide receiver so far and has put up impressive numbers despite Flacco throwing him the ball. The combination of a healthy Zach Wilson and a pass-happy offense that will face a lot of negative game scripts means there’s massive upside here, making Wilson’s case for OROY strong. There’s value in the current number (10-1), which hasn’t accounted for the return of Zach Wilson or the target share Garrett Wilson has seen thus far.